It is well-known that carbonated beverages such as sodas and seltzer waters which come in large size containers, lose their carbonation if they are not consumed after the container has been opened and a part of its contents has been poured out. The carbon dioxide which is diluted in the liquid remaining in the container escapes into the void left by the upper section of the bottle after a few servings have been poured out. When the bottle is opened again for the next serving, the mixture of air and carbon dioxide escapes. After the bottle is resealed, more diluted carbon dioxide escapes from the liquid into the air space until proper balance is re-established between the two areas of the bottle. If only small servings are poured out over a period of time, the remaining beverage soon loses all its carbonation. An obvious solution to the problem is to repressurize the emptied area of the bottle after each serving has been poured to prevent further escape of the diluted carbon dioxide from the remaining liquid phase. The prior art offers many devices, basically small hand pumps with special fittings designed to replace the original cap or stopper of the beverage container, as exemplified by the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,928 Ballas.
These portable repressurizing pumps are very awkward to use since they require holding the container as well as the pump while actioning the pump lever. Moreover, they are easily misplaced, or hard to find in a cluttered kitchen cabinet or drawer, and consequently are rarely used.
There is a need for a carbonated beverage repressurizing device which can be operated single-handedly, cannot be misplaced, and is readily and conveniently accessible every time the container is used.